The invention relates to a User Interface Module for programming reproduction machines such as copiers and printers, and more particularly, to a User Interface that can selectively simulate the operation of such reproduction machines, that is, partially configure the machine, and that can stand alone to program and simulate the operation of such machines.
As reproduction machines such as copiers and printers become more complex and versatile in the jobs they can do, the user interface between the machine and the operator or user, which in essence permits the dialogue between operator and machine, must necessarily be expanded if full and efficient utilization of the machine is to be realized. A suitable interface must not only provide the controls, displays, and messages necessary to activate and program the machine, but also to monitor and maintain the machine, and do so in an efficient, relatively simple, and straightforward way.
The prior art is replete with user interface systems. For example, the Xerox 5700 Electronic Printing System incorporates a touch control CRT screen providing button, key, and window images on the screen combined with text to give concise instructions to the operator. This system accepts magnetic cards, cassettes, and disks that store the documents to be printed and also the magnetic media can store control information to specify the output format for printing or to invoke special features such as merging or interleaving. The system software translates the coded data, formats the page, and generates the hard copy locally, or the system can transmit the data via a communication link to remote 5700 printing sites.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 1, discloses a diagnostic system which provides a hardware emulator in place of a system device for subsystem testing during manufacturing. The hardware emulator is a controller which receives and sense signals from and to a processor according to loaded microcode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,349 to Ashford et al. discloses a simulated machine tool controller for diagnostic purposes. The simulated controller is incorporated in a system central processor. Means for sending commands to the simulated controller and receiving responses from it are included in the central processor.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 30, No. 4, discloses a method of simulating hardware components not yet available in a processor system that may be of interest as a general teaching directed to system simulation.
A difficulty with the prior art reproduction machine systems is often the inability to test and simulate various operations and machine functions. For example, a reproduction center might want to simulate the results of various changes in the auditron billing rates. A customer might want to pre-program the machine and simulate a reproduction run before actually committing the machine to operation. It might also be desirable to have a stand alone interface, identical to the machine interface that can be used to pre-program the machine for a reproduction run without interfering with the actual machine interface. A stand alone interface device could also be used to selectively simulate operation of portions of the machine.
It would also be desirable, for example, to be able to selectively simulate machine operation for trouble shooting during software development and during development of mechanical components, and to be able to selectively simulate machine operation during manufacture. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a new and improved device that is integral with a reproduction machine or stands alone for simulating the operation of the entire machine or simulating operation of only portions of the machine while the remainder of the machine operates normally. Further advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features characterizing the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.